Good idea turns into cash for cancer

Doug Liske, a Lake Cowichan resident, knows what it’s like to lose friends or loved ones to cancer. That’s why he chose a year ago to begin growing his hair in preparation for this year’s Tour de Rock which began on Sept. 22 in Port Alice and ends on Oct. 5 in Spirit Square in Victoria.

Liske will be having his head shaved on Oct. 2, at Lake Cowichan Secondary, but he says he wanted to spice things up a little by having his hair permed and then dyed before hand.

So on Sunday, Sept. 23, he sat outside Country Grocer from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and let Jannina Russell of Heads or Nails transform his hair from blonde to blue and pink.

Pink was the official colour of choice by those voting when they donated at Heads or Nails, Link Salon and Spa, and Remedy Salon, but to compromise for his own comfort, Liske decided to go mostly blue with pink bangs.

“I volunteered for this, right? In fact I think I’m the one who suggested it,” said Liske in a moment of trepidation, but by the end of the day he was getting used to the idea.

“I’m starting to think I might like it. I might have to buy it back and keep it,” he joked.

Liske and his crew of volunteers including Laurie Johnson, Wanda Weirsma, and Amanda Sawatzky, along with Russell, managed to raise just under $400 by the time Liske’s hair was done.

Donations can still be made at any one of the mentioned salons up until Oct. 1.

On Tuesday, Oct. 2, Tour de Rock will be rolling into LCSS at about 11:30 a.m. There will be a hot dog sale, speeches, and of course some heads will be shaved for their cause.

Lake Cowichan RCMP will be putting out signs along Highway 18, marking kilometres purchased by locals at Country Grocer. Each kilometre costs $100 and can be purchased up until Oct. 1.

Local RCMP are also selling Tour de Rock T-shirts and ball caps out of the Lake Cowichan detachment office for $15 each.

Palsson Elementary will be doing their own kind of fundraiser next Tuesday. In keeping with tradition they will be duct taping a teacher to the wall, though this year it will be Kamila Bhandari, and not Principal Horsburgh. Purchase meters of duct tape for $5 each through the school office.

Another teacher, Kris Poole, will be having his head shaved. Donations can be made at the office.

To follow along with the excitement, go to bclocalnews.com/tour-de-rock.